To Tell the Simple Truth
by SetsunaNoroi
Summary: What if there was some one special Dias left behind after the 10 wise men? And what if a woman told him to find her again? And, worse of all, what if that woman fell in love with Dias? T for fights and bad memories. Small spoil about end of game. FINISHED
1. A Smart Alack Martial Artist

Noroi here. Wrote this for the fun of it basically. This is my fist one so I apoligise if there are any problems with it. You all know I don't own Star Ocean but I'll say it anyway.I do NOT own Star Ocean, it belongs to Pioneer. I do however own Rei so if you wish to use her, please e-mail me asking for premission.

This is a romance fic toaward the end but most of it is just general. The OC is not ending up with Dias (just so you know).

'To Tell a Simple Truth' by Noroi

Chapter 1: A Smart Alack Martial Artist  
  
Lacour was noisy... as usual. But the noise right now was because of the upcoming Tournament of Arms. Shopkeepers were shouting out the quality of their merchandise and children were running up and down the streets, playing with one another. It made Dias fell completely irritated. How people could lose their heads over something that happened annually was beyond him.  
Dias closely inspected the sword up for sponsoring at a weapon shop. In only a moment of looking at it did he decide it was worthless. As if the steel was a simple stick, he tossed it back to the shopkeeper.  
"What's the matter?" the person said after he tried and failed to catch the sword. "Don't you like it?"  
"That wouldn't make it through the first round," Dias said and walked off.  
It was getting harder to find a weapon shop to sponsor Dias. It seemed no shop had something good enough for his skills. He had planned on going to Grandpa Gamgee's shop again but when he reached town he heard how it had been one of the first shops to get a registered fighter. That didn't surprise him. Weaklings often thought only the weapon brought the victory so it was only natural They'd go to the last year's shop that came in first place.  
He was about to check out the next shop when a crashing sound caught his attention. He looked over to where the sound had come from to see a young teen with black hair standing over a burly looking man. The man was quickly developing a bruise under his left eye and was laying on a broken display of a weapon shop.  
"If you ever do that again I won't stop at a little punch," the youth said. "Understand?"  
"YOU PUNK! I'LL..." the man started as he got up, but before he could finish a hand clamped down on his shoulder.  
"Excuse me," said a woman who looked to be in her younger twenties. "That woman you felt up didn't like it. I agree that Kaizu was out of line but this doesn't seem like a good place to fight. If you really want to do something about it, then I suggest you take it out of town.  
"Look lady, just who do you think you are?" the man snapped.  
"A concerned teacher, that's all," she replied as she took her hand away. "I really think you should by-the-way. Obviously you don't want to fight to badly or you would have just taken my student and gone."  
The man scowled but turned away and left. Dias watched him walk by then turned his attention back towards the boy and woman. The boy (probably Kaizu) looked as if he was complaining to the woman, who shushed him and tuned to apologize to the shopkeeper. The young woman who ran the shop blushed deeply and said it was fine.  
Dias wondered if the shopkeeper was the woman who was touched inappropriately but hen shrugged. That didn't really matter to him. He needed to find a store to sponsor him. Turning his attention to the nearest shop, he didn't even notice the two leave the street.

Letting himself sink into a bar stool, Dias checked the paper of the store he had chosen. Fire Stone Weapon Shop. A strange name but good products, the items were both high healing plants and the amour was of fine quality. The sword was questionable, however. It wasn't up to Gamgee's level but it had been better than many swords he had seen that day.  
"What can I get you?" the bartender asked after he walked up to Dais.  
"Guinness," he said as he put the paper in his pocket.  
"Hey, Barkeep! More beer!" shouted a few people. The bartender sighed and handed Dias his drink before going to serve the rowdy men.  
"Confusing, isn't it," came a voice from next to Dias. He looked to see the same woman who had stopped the fight in the streets. Her chestnut brown hair was in a braid that reached the end of her shoulder blades. She wore a simple pair of black pants, a light brown sleeveless shirt, gloves and boots of the same color, and a short-sleeve black jacket. Her brown eyes gazed down at the glass of red wine in her hands.  
"So many people come to this place for so many different reasons," she continued. "Some happy, some sad and depressed, and some angry. And yet, when we're here, it always seems to offer us all the same thing."  
"You talk as if you've been here often before," he commented. He wasn't sure why he was talking with this woman but what she had said had intrigued him.  
"Every time I let a student go I come. I suppose it's because of the disappointment in myself and the child I'm teaching when I decide to leave," she replied.  
"Are you are a professor?" he asked.  
"A martial artist," she answered." I travel the world, looking for students to teach. Unfortunately, I never seem to find anyone who can devote themselves to the art. It seems to be that they see it as a game or a way to start fights. Like Kaizu, whom you saw earlier. Drawn into something that was none of his business and could only see that I stopped an opportunity for him to 'train'."  
"You knew I saw that?" Dias questioned.  
"It was hard not to notice, Mr. Flac. I saw you in the last Tournament of Arms," she explained. "Not to mention how well you... stand out in a crowd."  
"So you know who I am, but I don't know you," he said.  
"Rei... My name is Rei," the woman answered then finished her wine.  
"No last name?" he asked as she stood.  
"Not one that's important to you," she said. She dropped a few coins on the bar and smirked. "But maybe if we meet again, I tell you."  
He watched the woman walk to the entrance of the bar and leave. His gaze fell back to his drink after the door closed.  
'Smart alack martial artist. Heh, reminds me of Rena,' he thought with a small smile.

End of Chapter 1

Like it? Thought it stunk? Review so I have some idea what I did wrong. Don't bother to Flame me because while I'd apreciate constructive critisim, if you just say it suck for no reason I'll just ignore you.


	2. Meeting Again

I'm back! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. I'm sorry about the spelling errors and I'll be more careful from now on. I also made a mistake in my last chapter that was pointed out to me. Enix owns Star Ocean, not Pioneer (or me). I was also working on a fic for an anime and got the two companies mixed up. Anyway, ON WITH THE STORY!  
  
'To Tell the Simple Truth' by Noroi  
  
Chapter 2: Meeting Again  
  
"You fought well. Even better than last year."  
Dias grabbed the handle of his sword but suddenly noticed two legs swinging from a lower branch of the trees. Looking higher up, he saw Rei sitting on the branch. Smirking, she jumped down from the tree and landed in front of him.  
"Going to attack me?" she asked as she noticed his sword hilt that he was still holding.  
"I wasn't expecting to see another person in the Forest of Herlie (A/N not sure if that's what the forest near Herlie is called but for the sake of the story, let's say it is),"he said letting go of his sword. "What are you doing here?"  
"Training," she replied. "I heard about the monsters in this area getting more dangerous. I wanted to see for myself. And you?"  
"Same story," he said simply.  
"I see," she said crossing her arms. "And I meant what I said before, you fought very well inn the Tournament of Arms. You didn't even break a sweat during your final match."  
He looked at her skeptically. "That was two months ago."  
"Point being?" she asked. "I haven't seen you since then. I met you here so I figured I'd just say it."  
Dias shrugged. Truthfully, he couldn't care less about meeting this woman again or how impressed she had been with his fighting skills. It didn't really matter what she thought.  
"Are you staying at the inn," she asked suddenly.  
"What?" he asked, surprised by her curiosity.  
"Are you staying at the inn?" she repeated. "In Herlie."  
"I am. Why?"  
Rei gave a small shrug. "No reason I suppose. Just curiosity. Well that and I'm staying there for the night as well. Would you like to head back with me? It's almost night."  
"Looking for an escort?" he asked a little rudely. "Or are the monsters too tough for you to get out again?"  
"Neither." If she had noticed his rudeness she was pointedly ignoring it. "Just thought you would like company. Some one to talk to would be nice."  
"Not interested," he replied and turned away.  
"Alright," he heard her say. "Oh, before I forget. Rena said she missed you." Dias whirled back around but the girl was already gone.  
"How... does she know Rena?"

Dias knocked on the door of the inn where he had been told Rei was staying. He didn't have much idea what to say if the woman let him in, but he wasn't going to be able to sleep if he didn't talk to her and settle his curiosity.  
"Come in Dias," called her voice and he walked in.  
"You knew it was me?" he asked.  
Looking around the room, he saw Rei sitting on one of the two beds and putting a few things into her bag. She looked up at him and smiled.  
"I figured you'd want to talk about what I said earlier. I know I'd want to if I found out a younger sibling was trying to find me," she answered. "You know, you can sit if you want to. There's no reason to stand spaced out like a zombie at the front door."  
He walked over to a chair in the room and settled himself down. Looking at Rei, he expected to hear her explain but she simply pulled a few articles of clothing from the drawers near her bed and stuffed it in her bed. The only thing that showed his irritation was the frown ha always wore on his lips.  
It seemed to be enough for Rei to notice, however. She smiled sheepishly and put her bag aside.  
"Sorry," she said. "Guess I got a little distracted. So, what was it exactly you wanted to know?"  
"Where did you meet Rena. Is she traveling again?" he asked.  
"I doubt it. I met her in Salva, shopping from what she told me. She asked me if I had ever met you when I told her I traveled the world. I said yes and she asked me to give you a message if I ever saw you again," Rei explained.  
"What was the message?"  
"She said she wanted you to come home as soon as possible. She's getting married and would like it if you could be there," she said.  
Dias stood up in a flash. For once Shock was evident on his usual calm face. "Married!" he shouted very uncharacteristically.  
"Yes," she answered. "Is something the matter? I didn't think you'd be so upset about this... but then again, I suppose it's strange to hear your younger sister is engaged from a stranger."  
"When'd you hear this?" he asked, not paying attention to her answer past 'yes'.  
"It was about two weeks ago," she said. "You plan on going, right?"  
He fixed her with a cold glare, "That's none of your business."  
"Actually... it is."  
"And why is that?" he asked. "I don't recall you knowing Rena or I past a few short meetings."  
"Well, I'm getting paid if I bring you back. 5,000 Fol. Usually I wouldn't go for so little but it's not like I was looking for you. Only if I saw you by chance," she told him.  
"Getting paid?" he asked as he gave her another cold look.  
"I have to eat you know. If I didn't make money selling my skills, I'd have a pretty hard time getting by. I'm sure it's the same for you," she replied with a shrug of her brown clad shoulders.  
He didn't give her an answer. She didn't seem to expect one though. Instead, she turned back to her bag and put a few more things in.  
"I don't care if we travel together," she said, not facing him. "As long as we both end up in Arlia before the wedding and I get paid you can leave before or after me."  
"Fine," he answered and turned to leave.  
"Dias," she said.  
"Yes?" he asked irritated.  
"She seemed happy. It's none of my business, but maybe you shouldn't go just to stop her. She's a big girl from what I saw... Big enough to decide who she's going to marry on her own," Rei said.  
Dias didn't say anything as he left. Why should he? Rei could never understand how he felt about Rena.  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Wow! I finally got this done! I wrote this while I was at an anime convention called Metrocon and lots the floppy of it there. Then the computer kept crashing when I tried to write it (never occurred to me to put it on another floppy).  
  
Anyway, thanks to all the people who reviewed. I hope you all liked this chapter. (Even though it was just a lot of boring talking. I promise there'll be a lot more action in the next chapter.)  
  
See the nice GO button? PUSH IT! Thank you, come again. 


	3. Masks and Past

I'm always taking so long to post and I'M SO SORRY!!! A hurricane hit and I was waiting weeks for electricity again. Obviously the gods of fan fiction are trying to stop me from accomplishing my goal but I'M NOT AFRAID OF THEM! Lighting strikes poor little author on head cough... on with the story... cough

Chapter 3: Masks and Past

Dias didn't bother to look at the bandit as he wiped the blood from his sword. They weren't worth the notice in his opinion. They'd attack, thinking they could win against him, and he would kill them. The process was simple... and to him incredibly irritating. They were in his way and weak, and neither thing he held in high regard. He only wished the case had been the same so many years ago.

A small sigh brought him from his musing and brought his gaze to Rei who was wiping the sweat out of her eyes. The bandits at her feet were bleeding but only from busted noses and so forth. They were all unconscious, not like the thieves that had been slashed to death by the sharpness of his blade. She turned to him and gave that smile of hers to him. It was a strange sort of smile; something he hadn't noticed when he had first met her. She was almost always smiling but he had only finally noticed it after about a day in her company.

Her smile had a sad note to it. As if she was trying to hide a pain from the world in it. He had only seen it because...well, he didn't know why. He supposed maybe it was because he put on his own mask to keep his pain inside as well.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, again breaking him of his thoughts.

"Fine, the enemies weren't much to think of," he replied.

"Not what I meant," she said. "You just seem to have a question in your eyes. Is there something you want to ask?"

"Why don't you don't kill?" he asked. He had been pondering that and he didn't want to say that he had been thinking about her smile.

Rei seemed to be caught off guard by this question. Her eyes widened and her mouth let out a little gasp. She quickly turned away and looked at the red sunset. At first Dias thought she wouldn't answer but then her voice came out in a small way.

"I don't think it should be used when it can be avoided. There is so much hurt in the world without simply adding more." She whispered her answer, as if speaking to loud would cause the world around her to break.

Dais looked at her back as she began to walk off.

"Mars is still a ways away. We should get going before it gets dark," she said and he followed, knowing now not to ask next time.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. He wasn't surprised to see it. The angle of her lips had so much fake happiness that he doubted that even little Precis wouldn't have caught it. But it was her mask and he would not disturb it again.

"We should get going a bit quicker."

"Fine," he said.

It was dark when Dias and Rei reached the village but Celine still seemed to recognize Dias from her window and came running down to him from her house. The great gold ringlet always following the sorceress looked to be having trouble keeping up as she ran full-force towards him. She stopped in front of him and started to talk even though she should have been winded from sprinting in high heels.

"Oh Darling, it's so good to see you again," she exclaimed. "I was wondering if you were going it make it in time. Just imagine not seeing Rena's wedding! I was going in just a few short days. Rena told me that she had sent somebody looking for you. A few people really. As much as you travel just one person probably just wouldn't be enough. So who found-"

She had looked to Rei on Dias' side and her mouth nearly fell open. "R... Rei Dear, wh-what in the world are you doing here?"

"You know each other?" he asked as he looked from the flabbergasted Celine to the suddenly cold looking Rei.

"You could call it that. We haven't talked in years really." Her tone was as cold as ice and left a message that clearly said she didn't wish to discuss it further. "Dias, I'll be in the inn. I suppose I'll meet you latter."

"Come now, Dear. Please stay at my house for the night. It's been just forever. Surely it would be best to clear the air a bit," Celine said hopefully.

"The morning then," Rei said and walked off to the inn.

Celine's shoulders slumped and she looked disappointed, though not the least bit surprised. She glanced at the male swordsman and he gave a small nod to show that he would come along if she wished him to. She led the way to her house and opened the door to allow him into the snug building. She closed the door behind him and left to go the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea, Darling? My mother would make it but she and Father have already gone to sleep. Or would you like to just go to bed yourself? It's short notice but we always have a place ready for guests," she asked from beyond the other room.

"I'll have tea," he replied.

"Alright Dear."

After a few minutes the kettle was on the stove and Celine and Dias were sitting at the table waiting for it to whistle. Not to signal that tea was ready to be made but that the uneasy air would be broken. She was looking at him as if anticipating him to ask something and she was simply dying to talk about it.

"Go ahead and ask," he said finally to get her to stop her annoying staring.

"Was she the one to find you? How did you get her to come here? Why is she with you?" The questions were all pushed into one breath as if him answering immediately was the most important thing in the world to her.

"Answer to question one and three is yes she is the one who told me about the wedding. Two, she never presented a problem with the village until she saw you," he answered.

"I'll have you know it wasn't me at all, Darling. She left the village a good five years ago. Ran away from home for a really dumb reason," Celine said hotly. She was already in a bad mood from Rei reaction to her and Dias wasn't making it better.

He looked surprised. "She's from Mars?"

"Oh yes, didn't she tell you? No, no I suppose she wouldn't. The village basically drove her away. I doubt she talk about it to a stranger, not even to tell you she didn't want to come. Why is she with you anyway, Darling? I must admit I was a little more than surprised to see her," she explained more calmly now.

"I thought it was a stupid reason," he commented dryly.

Celine looked a little surprised at him. Apparently she hadn't even noticed her slip up. She gave a small sigh and looked past him and to the window. Dias turned to where her gaze was pointing and saw a light on in one of the windows of the inn. He wondered for a moment if the room was Rei's.

"Rei had always been incredibly talented with magic. Well, if you could call power talent. The thing is that she had plenty of raw energy but no control. The elders in the village tried to help her... but it was hopeless. She could pull out the energies required for a spell but she had no way to form it correctly. Then one day, while trying to fix the problem, Rei's powers simply exploded. There was an accident that killed some people and knocked her unconscious. It was then that the elders decided to seal her power. The spell was complex but it worked. A few days latter she woke up and she couldn't even do the simpler spells. Most of the village breathed with relief but not all. There were some that were angry with her for killing some of the citizens of the village. They... they yelled at her, calling her a murderer and such. She left by the next morning, I suppose because she believed the whole town fealt that way. We never saw her again until tonight."

While Celine explained the past of Dias' temporary companion, the wheels in his mind seemed to be turning faster. He found it so hard to believe that this had happened to her. It was as if Celine was talking about a different person. It just didn't make sense for this thing to have happened to Rei. The girl that almost always smiled and insisted that he needed to be open about himself more. The woman who would not even kill her opponents.

And then again, it seemed to make so much sense at the same time. She wouldn't kill because she felt herself to be a murderer. She smiled to hide her pain, talked to him because she wanted to share it. She sent her students away who flaunted their power because it simply reminded her of her lack of control. She hid her pain like he did, only in a different and seemingly more effective way. No one would guess that she hurt inside but his sarcastic, cruel, and somewhat sadistic mask had a way of letting people know that something had happened to him not so long ago.

The loud and sudden whistle of the kettle in the kitchen snapped Dias from his thoughts. Celine quickly rushed to quiet it and when she got back she saw that Dias had left to go to bed. She made an ugly face and put her hands on her hips.  
"Oh, that man," she muttered with a huff.

The next morning Dias walked outside of Celine's house and came upon Rei. Several of the town's people were looking at her and whispering amongst themselves but did not openly speak to her. Apparently from the dark glares she was getting, not many of them whished her to be in the village. She seemed to think the same thing from the way she spoke.

"We should get going," she said. "The wedding is going to be in a few days and it's a fairly long walk. It'll take us about thirty hours if we don't rest."

There was a cheerful note in her voice but it was not completely convincing. It was lacking the seemingly true feeling she had always put into it without effort. She looked very tired as if she hadn't slept well last night. He didn't have to wonder why.

"That's fine. Celine was wishing to come with but I thought it best if she didn't. She left earlier this morning," he answered her.

Rei showed she had heard him by simply nodding and walking away, leaving Dias to follow. He did and once they were a good distance from Mars he spoke his mind.

"Celine told me what happened to you five years ago."

"And you want to know if it's true?" asked Rei.

He thought for a moment. Did he? It really wasn't any of his business. He gave a small sigh.

"If you don't mind," he said after a moment.

She looked at him for a moment. He thought she wouldn't wish to talk about it but then she nodded her head and looked out at the sky. "I suppose I should."

End of Chapter Three

Again, boring talking. Sorry. I had to split the third and forth chapter because the third was way to long. However, I swear on pain of death that the next chapter will be far more interesting.

Also, I realized I didn't do the disclaimer before. I don't own Star Ocean 2. I'm sure none of you are surprised.

Review or the nasty fanfiction gods will smite thee. Cue lightning...ouch


	4. Path of Pain

Here I am again at last! I bet you all missed me.

Crickets chirping.

I see no one is here. Can't say I'm surprised; I haven't updated in …let's see, how long? checks paper OMG! Halloween! I'm sooo… still no one here. Ah well. You'll all show up. I hope.

Don't own S.O. But I do own what little is left of my sanity so that's cause for celebration. woo

Chapter Four: The Path of Pain

"I don't know where to begin," Rei said. She was walking by the side of Dias, who was waiting patiently for her to explain. He was eyeing her as if taking his gaze from her would result in the world ending.

"Try the beginning," he commented, a little less dryly than usual.

"Hmm," she mumbled through her closed lips. "Good idea."

**Flashback**

Rei concentrated as hard as she could. She imagined the spell forming in her hands and obeying her will. The powers that be would lend the necessary powers involved in forcing nature to do her will. They would, she knew they would, they always did.

The wind whipped around her and screamed. Powerful energy formed in her hands; feeling like lighting, lava and other dangerous forces of nature all at the same time.

No, it was too much, she could tell. The spell had acquired the energy needed but she had pulled forth too much… again. She tried to force the energy back were it belonged in nature but it wouldn't do so. Getting the right amount of energy was difficult for even for those with years of practice, it was nearly impossible for Rei who for some reason always made a mistake and could never fix it.

It was too late though. She had shoved too much power in the simple little Thunderbolt spell and now she'd have to deal with it. The lighting she was magically holding was beginning to burn her hands; she'd have to let it go quickly.

'Here goes nothing,' she thought. "THUNDER!"

The tree she had been aiming for was gone, but not from the small lightning bolt she had wished to unleash. It had been torn away from the wind of the tornado she had accidentally unleashed. Lightning flashed from the sky and winds howled in her ears as she looked up in shock at the mess she had made. It wasn't the fact that she had just torn out a good acre of trees from the Heraldry Forest that upset her, it was the fact that she was bound to get in trouble for screwing up yet again.

She had good reason to worry.

"Do you know what that could have caused!" Rei's father screamed at her. She looked at the ground, wishing she were still with the tornado. "You were lucky it was so far from the town. What if some one had gotten hurt?"

"Well, no one did, did they?" she snapped back. She was so sick of this. She hadn't done anything wrong: she simply was practicing. Couldn't ANYONE see that?

"Be that as it may," the Elder of Mars said. Rei rolled her eyes. Oh boy, she was gonna get talked down now. Who had even invited the stupid old man to her house anyway? "You've been told about practicing alone before. It was arranged years ago that you would only practice when you were being giving lessons."

"Which almost never happens anymore. No one is willing to practice with me. What am I suppose to do?" she snarled angrily. "Just give up and let my powers go to waste."

Her father and the Elder both sighed at the same time. Rei could tell that they were getting sick of this argument. She would be talked to, she'd defend herself, they'd get all angry with her, offer a solution, and then nothing would work out and she'd be forced to practice by herself and start the whole situation over again. It was an endless cycle.

"I may have a solution," the Elder said as if on cue. "If no one is teaching you than I may be able to offer some help."

"You'll teach me?" Rei was both excited and disappointed. She would be finally be able to make some progress with the Elder teaching her but on the other hand, she didn't know how much lecturing she could take from the man.

"Well, not exactly. There are many things to take care of. I can't just make you my personal business all the time," he replied as he tugged at his beard lightly. His other hand pulled out a small golden circlet only wide enough to fit on Rei's wrist. "No, what I have planned is a little different. I have an artifact that is called The Ring of Binding. You're to wear it all times."

"What does it do?" she asked as she eyed the bracelet in suspicion.

"It will control your magic for you. It's very powerful," he said.

"Why didn't you mention this years ago?" she almost snapped.

"Because it takes power from you in a constant flow. So when you do a spell, even if you put everything into it, the Ring will only allow the needed amount. This will allow you to get a feel for the right amount of needed energy and in a while you'll no longer need the handicap," he told her. "But because of it always draining your energy, anyone with little power would be helpless to its effects. I did not know until you formed that storm that you had enough potential to resist the wear it would bring unto a normal person."

Rei's eyes narrowed at the implication that she wasn't 'normal' but reached out her hand for the circlet anyway. It was handed to her but not without a warning from the Elder.

"Do not remove it until I say so, do you understand?"

"Yeah fine," she muttered and took it.

She and her father watched the Elder leave after promising to be back for a practice run in the morning and her father turned to her. He had a glare in his eyes that could have rivaled her own at the moment. It said clearly that she was still in trouble with him. However, he turned away also and left the room to prepare the evening meal for the both of them. He had been doing so for years now, she couldn't remember how many. She had no memory of her mother in her deathbed, leaving this world and her family to it. Her father had tried to make life as normal as possible for the girl with no mother but it was anything but easy.

Rei eyed the bracelet slipped it into her pocket. She would put it on in the morning when the Elder would come to fetch her. It was so dumb, for a man who claimed to be so busy he certainly had a lot of time to bother her.

**End Flashback**

"And I guess I can tell you the rest latter," remarked Rei as she noticed the band of bandits hiding behind the small hills and rocks.

Dias sighed irritably. Truth be told, he was interested in this young woman's past more than when she had begun the tale. But he said nothing and let her assume it was more of fatigue from a day of traveling on top of attacks instead of his own curiosity.

The bandits noticed they had been spotted and jumped from their hiding places. Dias quickly drew his sword and Rei assumed a fighting position. The criminals leapt upon them and Dias slashed through them as if they were butter. Blood flowed as if water from a faucet as he taught them their last and fatal mistake. The sound of bones crushing met his ears and he turned his head slightly to see Rei crushing the bones of the arm of the bandit in front of her before tossing him roughly to the side and begin on another one. Her moves were silky and precise. She knew how to put some one out of a fight in the least amount of time or effort. So much control.

And he was too busy watching that control to notice the thief who had snuck up to him as he ended the life of his last enemy and slice at his back. The flashing of the pain was only evident for a second before he turned to the small bandit and tore his blade through the soft flesh of the man. Dias hadn't uttered a sound from the sharp steel that had raked his back and still remained mute as he fell to his knees.

Rei made sound though. She screamed after her last opponent dropped to the grassy floor and she had spun around to face him. Her cheery demeanor was torn away as grief filled her eyes and threatened to spill. Her feet brought her to him in a second and she dropped to his side.

"Are you okay Dias?" she asked him. After her initial shock she had calmed a bit but she still looked frightened.

"I'm fine," he grunted but almost bit back his words the second he spoke them. A simply knife wound wouldn't feel like it had set his body on fire and drained his energy so fast it was dizzying.

She pried the blade that had hit him out of the dead man's hand and examined it. "It's been poisoned. I can't tell which one it is though. I don't think we have any antidotes left. We only had a few to begin with. We need to get you to Salva… now."

Dias nodded his head but not for long as the pain it caused made his skull feel as if it would split open. He couldn't keep conscience. He grabbed one of Rei's hands with his own and tugged slightly.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked him immediately.

"I can't m… can't make i-it," he gasped. "It hurts t…much."

She shook her head vigorously. "You make it sound like your gonna die. Don't worry, I'll … I'll carry you. No problem."

And the next thing he knew was the pressure under him as she slung his closest arm over her shoulder and lifted him up. She staggered at first but after a moment made the steady pace toward the town began.

End of Chapter Four

For the people who read this, please review. I can ask for no more. cough… cough

Tandy (my sister): Why'd you cough?

Me: To show dramatic effect. Now get away from my fanfic. You'll contaminate it.

Tandy: Like anyone would care. They gave up on you before Christmas.

Me: ()() Where were you! Behind a bush watching them?

Tandy: I can neither confirm nor deny that I can con firm nor deny that accusation.

GO AWAY! No, not my fans. I didn't mean you. NOOO! Drat… there gone.


	5. Hellos and Goodbyes

Noroi here. Glad to see I still have fans. I'm also happy to announce that it didn't take me six months to write another chapter. YAAAH! Now on to the not so fun part.

Disclaimer: I don't own spit but Rei and this little story of mine. So don't sue me please.

Chapter 5: Meeting

Dias opened his eyes and immediately regretted doing so. The light of the sun streaming into the window of a small room burned his pupils compared to the darkness he had been swimming in just moments before. His eyelids squeezed shut before letting them be opened again to the room. It was an oddly familiar one but his half-awake mind wouldn't register from where he had seen it yet.

"It's great to see you again Dias."

Dias immediately looked to his left to see the girl he had been pursuing. The girl he had traveled so far for to see.

"Rena," he whispered.

Rena smiled happily and knelt down to hug his arm lightly. She leaned in so close that he could smell the berry-scented shampoo she used in her hair.

"You're so different Rena," he whispered into her ear.

"Not really," she replied as she pulled away slowly. But she was being modest. Her hair had grown down to her shoulder blades, her face had lost it's puffy child-like look and now radiated like a flower in full bloom, her body had become curved and looked as if she only needed a child rested on her hip to make the look complete. Even her clothes looked different. In replacement of her old outfit she had donned a yellow sundress that flowed to her ankles and brown shoes, and a white unbuttoned blouse tied at the end covering her shoulders. The girl he had known had become a woman.

"Oh," came a voice from the open door. "Is he awake?"

The swordsman sat up and looked around to see Rei standing close. She looked tired and absolutely worn out but the same old smile was still attached stubbornly to her face. She walked in and sat on the twin bed next to his. It was only then that he recognized the room. It was Rena's house, her mother's room.

"How did we get here?" he asked. As far as he remembered, the two of them had not even made it to Salva when he had been poisoned by that bandit.

"Well, I made it to Salva okay but there wasn't any medicine I could buy. I looked around town for some help and I ended up running into some one from Arlia Village who offered to help me take you there so Rena could heal you." When Rei finished explaining she turned to Rena. "I was so shocked by you're power. I never knew that there where such forces in this world as healing magic. It must be a rare gift."

Rena looked incredibly saddened. "Yes, it is."

Rei must have known she struck a chord when Rena responded like that as she quickly stood. "You two have a lot to talk about, don't you? Well, I'll just get out of you're way so you can get caught up." And with that she slipped out the door.

Rena smiled after her. "I never expected anyone to find you. The wedding is going to happen in less than a week and I was getting a little worried. I never wanted you to miss this. I'll have to give Rei my gratitude latter."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy spending your gratitude," he commented. His voice was so dry that it surprised even himself.

"What?" Rena asked. "Spending? Oh, you mean the reward for finding you. It's not a big deal. I can afford it. Claude is a great provider and he wanted you here as well."

If Rena saw Dias flinch than she did not comment on it. Instead she picked up a small tray of food from the side of the bed and set it up in front of him. It wasn't much, a glass of water and some soup but his stomach was glad for it all the same.

"You should eat. It'll help you regain your strength."

"I'm fine," he told her.

She looked at him a little crossly. "You were poisoned for a while before I could treat you. The best thing for you right now is nourishment and rest. I just want you to stay in bed until tomorrow morning to be safe."

He nodded in order to appease her. She smiled happily and smoothed her skirt. "I am glad you made it time. I was considering going after you myself for a while."

"When did he propose to you?" Dias asked.

"A few months ago. We were going to wait a little longer but he figured that there was no time like the present. You know…" She paused. "I never really thought this was going to happen. I mean marriage; it's so big. I was always a little afraid of it to be honest. But Claude changed my mind. I don't think I've ever been happier in my entire life. To be able to share my life with him, it's too good to ever be scared of."

Dias said nothing and simple looked into his soup. What could he say to that? He had come to Arlia to confess. To keep her from going through with it. But if she was happy than what right did he have to come here?

"Rena," he said.

"Hmm?"

"You should go to Claude. I'll be fine by myself."

"Are you sure?"

'I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life,' he thought but simply nodded silently again.

"Alright. But try to eat, okay?" she said as she walked to the door and left.

A few minutes passed as Dias just sat there, his emotions becoming a haze in his mind. He had been such a fool to come here and think it would change anything. He didn't even have the guts to tell her how he felt… how much he loved her. But, he chided himself, what did he have to offer her anyway? He was a wandering sword that had no place in society. He wouldn't be able to really take care of her, not like Claude. He was the one who had the power to protect others, not Dias.

"Let me guess, she's not really your blood sister."

"No Rei, she's not," he told the intruding woman without even looking up.

"I'm sorry. The whole trip I talked like she was. I thought you were just over-protective. It must have hurt."

He didn't respond.

"You wanted her for yourself?" she asked.

"None of your business," he told her sharply. He glared at her with an unbound fury in his eyes. Even though he had made the decision to give Rena up, he was still angry at the fact that she had been torn away from him so easily. And right now he had no qualms about taking it out on Rei. "Why don't you just take your reward and go? No one here needs you or your damn optimist attitude."

He could tell immediately that he had hurt her. It was written all over her face.

"I was scared. Scared that you were hurt because of me," she told him, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Get her to pay you and get out of my sight," he growled at her.

Dias' head whipped to the side at the contact of Rei's palm. She stood there, trembling and the hand still held up. "If you could look past your own concerns than you might have been able to see it," she whispered. "This had nothing to do with the reward. I told you my past because I thought you understood me. I stayed with you because I… I was a fool to think that it could have been real."

And with that she ran from the room. Fled his gaze and all the pain he was sure it had given her.

----

"She left town?" Claude asked Rena, who nodded.

"Took her pay and just left. I invited her to stay for the wedding but she told me that she needed to be heading out anyway. Too bad really. I wanted to thank her more extensively for finding Dias."

Dias walked into the small living and dining room of Rena's home. Both people were surprised to see him up and about.

"Dias, you shouldn't be out of bed. You need to rest," the bride-to-be said.

"I'm fine," he responded in a way that showed that he wasn't going to be persuaded into going back to bed. "I'm leaving."

"What?" Rena nearly cried. "But you haven't even been here for a day. Aren't you staying for the wedding? That was the whole reason for you coming here."

"No," he said, "it wasn't." And then he did something that was sure he wouldn't have been capable of for a while. He smiled. "I hope you and Claude have a happy life together."

Claude looked a little surprised and also instantly relieved. "Thank you."

"Dias…" Rena trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Good bye," he said and brushed past the couple and out the door.

He had not taking three steps from the house when he heard the door open from behind him. He did not turn around.

"I was sure you were here to take her away. I was so scared, a small part of me wanted you to stay away until the wedding was over," Claude said.

"She wouldn't have left with me," he replied.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. She adores you more than she ever did me. You could have taken her so easily."

"Maybe a year ago she would have come. But not now. She loves you. I didn't even think of telling her until it was too late." Dias looked up into the sky and gave a small sigh. "Take care of her. Please."

"Of course."

He heard the door close again and proceeded to leave the village. He had something important to do.

---

"Did you lose another student?" Dias asked as he sat next to Rei in the bar of Salva.

The female martial artist looked up in shock to Dias. It couldn't be more clear that she hadn't been expecting him to follow her, maybe if she had she would have gone a little farther than Salva.

"Not exactly, but some one I did care for." Her reply was full a so many different emotions that he couldn't distinguish what all of them were.

"I… if you don't mind, I'd like to hear the rest of your story," he told her.

She smiled into the mug of bear she held. She seemed to be contemplating what whether she should tell him the rest or not. Eventually she shook her head no.

"You can get the rest from Celine if you want. She knows what happened."

"She just said that after the accident you were run out of town," he said.

"Well, then you pretty much have the whole story. I took off the bracelet and … Well, to this day I still don't know exactly what happened. There's not much left except for me finding a martial artist that took me in and taught me how to defend myself. But that's not the important part, is it?" She looked into his eyes and said softly, "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She was obviously talking about in Arlia.

This time Dias shook his head. "Don't be."

"You're not going back to watch the wedding?"

Dias remained silent.

"I can see why you wouldn't want to."

And the two sat there for several minutes without talking, just soaking in each other's company as Rei finished her drink. And quite suddenly she sat a little straighter.

"You know," she said. "I believe once you wanted to know my name. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. My name is Rei Hope. I'm happy to meet you."

Dias looked at Rei with an eyebrow raised. He smirked. Once again her ability to act so happy and even a little strange could break through the darkest moods. He silently thanked her for that. He supposed she like doing it for him. Although, that thought was not as comforting as he would have liked it to be.

"Rei, what you said in Arlia," he began, "why didn't you-"

"Tell you sooner?" she interrupted him. She stood and right before she left she told him. "Because, the same treason you didn't tell Rena. Sometimes it's easier not to tell the simple truth. Besides, we both know it would never work. I don't think I could replace Rena. And… in a weird sort of way, I don't want to."

--The wedding was probably the most beautiful that Rena could ever hope for. The cake that her mother had whipped up stood at least two feet tall and the rest of the table of food was covered in food that looked just as delicious. Friends crammed in the church to see the happy bride and her soon to be husband join together in the bonds of love. And when she stood with Claude at the alter, both dressed in stunning wedding clothes to say 'I do' she knew she could be no happier in her life than at this moment.

But she never saw the man at the back, hidden mostly by shadows, watching her as she swore her vows. A wandering swordsman who had his life only for himself and let both Rena and Rei go. He had watched both of them walk from his life and despite the small regret he felt, he knew deep down that it had been for the best. Rena loved another and though he felt a deep respect and maybe even admiration for Rei he could tell she no longer wished to travel with something she could not have.

Fin

Well, I hoped everyone like it. The last chapter was kind of a pain to write because I had to make sure I tied up the loose ends. Also I realized it was a little angsty, I didn't plan it that way but it just kinda happened. Ah well, I think it adds flavor to the story.

I don't plan to write a sequel. I don't know what I'd write if I did.

Anyway I would like to thank the following.

Miotis Kain

Star Ocean Junkie

Red Mage

sephiroth the one winged angle

Reesechan

Chisatou Madison

Oneechan

noone

And anyone else who will review in the future.

I would like to thank Miotis Kain and Reesechan also for inspiring me to finally write my own fic. I suggest to everyone to read their stories, they're pretty good.

One last thing, I think I'm just going to write one-shots for a while. I like doing continual stories but I seem to have a small problem with getting them up quickly. To Tell the Simple Truth was only suppose to take a few months at the most. HA! So I'll only do the shorter things and maybe write a continual all in one swoop before I post it.

PEACE OUT!


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